Holidaying in Tuscany

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Original Poster:

746 posts

216 months

Friday 25th July 2008
quotequote all
Thinking of having a week away in Tuscany in August.

Anyone been and care to share experiences? Is the food and wine all its made out to be?

If anyone can recommend anywhere to stay that would be fantastic? After somewhere quiet and relaxing.

sleep envy

62,260 posts

250 months

Friday 25th July 2008
quotequote all
yes, my parents are from there

depends when/where you go in august - 2nd & 3rd weeks are high season as the country is on a shut down

food and wine is fantastic (at the local places, as to be expected it's over priced rubbish in the touristy places)

Edited by sleep envy on Friday 25th July 13:29

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Original Poster:

746 posts

216 months

Friday 25th July 2008
quotequote all
I'm looking at w/c 18 Aug

Fidgits

17,202 posts

230 months

Friday 25th July 2008
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went there for a friends wedding a month ago... was amazing!

I loved the place a lot more than I thought I would - Florence is stunning but busy, better to head into the countryside and see as much as you can, San Guilamenio and Volterra are stunning mountain-top cities...

Food and drink the normal prinicpals apply - find a good place and its fantastic, end up in a crappy tourist place its not.

just be savvy and enjoy!

sleep envy

62,260 posts

250 months

Friday 25th July 2008
quotequote all
Calculator said:
I'm looking at w/c 18 Aug
ouch!

jshell

11,061 posts

206 months

Friday 25th July 2008
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Hotel Degli Orafi, Florence (Firenze), remarkably hidden away, but only 150m from the Pont Vechio. Hire a car, drive 40mins to The Mall near Inciza and stock up on designer goods from Gucci, Pucci, Valentino, Burberry (no check) and a whole lot of other designers... Visit Pisa, the beach etc. Sorted!

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Original Poster:

746 posts

216 months

Friday 25th July 2008
quotequote all
sleep envy said:
Calculator said:
I'm looking at w/c 18 Aug
ouch!
Is this an absolute no no?

sleep envy

62,260 posts

250 months

Friday 25th July 2008
quotequote all
Calculator said:
sleep envy said:
Calculator said:
I'm looking at w/c 18 Aug
ouch!
Is this an absolute no no?
well you'll pay over the odds, nearly twice that for what you can have in early or late Aug

personally I go in Sept, weather is just as good, less tourists and it's cheaper


Mikeyboy

5,018 posts

236 months

Friday 25th July 2008
quotequote all
sleep envy said:
yes, my parents are from there

depends when/where you go in august - 2nd & 3rd weeks are high season as the country is on a shut down

food and wine is fantastic (at the local places, as to be expected it's over priced rubbish in the touristy places)

Edited by sleep envy on Friday 25th July 13:29
Count Envy of Tuscany, that explains it all.

I've done Garda at that time of year. it is shall we say a little WARM and crawling with Germans.

sleep envy

62,260 posts

250 months

Friday 25th July 2008
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Mikeyboy said:
Count Envy of Tuscany, that explains it all.
biggrin

Markh

2,781 posts

276 months

Friday 25th July 2008
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am in Umbria at the moment and its bloody hot 37.5

big_rob_sydney

3,408 posts

195 months

Friday 25th July 2008
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Fidgits said:
went there for a friends wedding a month ago... was amazing!

I loved the place a lot more than I thought I would - Florence is stunning but busy, better to head into the countryside and see as much as you can, San Guilamenio and Volterra are stunning mountain-top cities...

Food and drink the normal prinicpals apply - find a good place and its fantastic, end up in a crappy tourist place its not.

just be savvy and enjoy!
With my family being Italian, we travel to Italy frequently. Tuscany is awesome, though I suspect the above was San Gimigniano. Great place too, very artistic. Rolling countryside, plenty of wines to choose from, Volterra is great too, with views from the top of the city over the countryside.

I prefer to flu into Pisa, spend a short amount of time there, and then head for Lucca, then Florence (Firenze), and then just drive into Tuscany. Our best holiday was without planning it, just driving along any road, and stopping wherever we wanted.

As for hotels, yes, you can book in advance, but then you spend time trying to find it, and I’d rather just fly by the seat of my pants, tbh.

A good trip is to Isola D’Elba. You can take a Ferry acroos, from Piombino (from memory), and its pretty cheap. The beaches on the island are great, and the seafood is simply amazing. I had the best seafood there I’ve ever had, and all the pasta was freshly made on site, very typical of many restaurants.

Agree on the time of year being pricey.

sleep envy

62,260 posts

250 months

Friday 25th July 2008
quotequote all
big_rob_sydney said:
I prefer to flu into Pisa, spend a short amount of time there, and then head for Lucca, then Florence (Firenze), and then just drive into Tuscany.
technically, you'd already be in tuscanywink

anonymous-user

55 months

Friday 25th July 2008
quotequote all
I drove to Tuscany from the UK a few years back. Stayed in Florence for a few nights and then a converted monestary (or nunnery) in Chianti!! Absolutely wonderful place - food and wine superb!!!!

StuB

6,695 posts

240 months

Friday 25th July 2008
quotequote all
We have a place in Bagni Di Lucca, near Lucca and it's lovely, like the rest of Tuscany!

Food, wine, people, roads - all fantastic (I would say that though).

I've managed to sort some flights in the next 2 weeks with Byanair via BHX fairly cheap too as I have to drive the wife out and leave her with the car (she's a teacher) and I have to return to work for a week before rejoining her for the second week in August.

Lucca is a beautiful city too and not as touristy as some of the larger cities. Agree, Florence is stunning.

Alfahorn

7,771 posts

209 months

Friday 25th July 2008
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I go to Tuscany ever year, it's my favorite place. I can recommend visiting Lucca, Florence and Via Reggio on the coast.

sleep envy

62,260 posts

250 months

Friday 25th July 2008
quotequote all
TBH you don't have to go to Tuscany to enjoy Italy, there are other places which are far less busy i.e. Salsomaggiore in Terme is a wonderful spa town

just don't go when Miss Italia is on as the place is crawling with fit women, Ferraris and Lamboswink



Edited by sleep envy on Friday 25th July 14:26

eightseventhree

2,196 posts

205 months

Friday 25th July 2008
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just dont spend that much time in Pisa . . . its like Rotherham except warmer and with a tower that leans

big_rob_sydney

3,408 posts

195 months

Friday 25th July 2008
quotequote all
sleep envy said:
big_rob_sydney said:
I prefer to flu into Pisa, spend a short amount of time there, and then head for Lucca, then Florence (Firenze), and then just drive into Tuscany.
technically, you'd already be in tuscanywink
Too true, I was thinking driving into the heart of Tuscany, which to me is more like San Gimignano.

Then again, any time spent in Tuscany is a blessing. Cant go wrong.

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Original Poster:

746 posts

216 months

Friday 25th July 2008
quotequote all
Thanks for the advice guys, its made up my mind!

Any decent sites to book accommodation through?